Drake flew as fast as he could. Three police ran after him.
“Hey, stop right there,” one shouted.
He rounded a corner and shot down another alley way. It wasn’t the first time he had done this, but he still got good dose of adrenalin. He continued down. The police tied down. They heard over their panting, on the radio that there was an incident three streets away.
‘That was too close,’ he thought to himself as he slowed his pace and took in a deep breath. He looked around at his surroundings. He automatically knew where he was by the sign hanging off the wall that said GLORIA’S FLOWERS, and the black street cat with a white spot on the tip of its tail.
He turned around a corner, and to his right. He smelled the air. Damp, and kind of stinky. He walked to the corner, and then went to the back wall of a large building. It was right outside of a hospital. On the side where they threw out all of their trash. He walked down, and to where the trash harbor ended. There was a square, with a narrow entrance, and a rag tag roof. An old mattress with torn sheets and ripped up pillow.
This was what he called home. A dog got up. It was a well fed rottweiler. Rather small for a dog of its breed, but pure bred.Her name was Bella
He had found her being thrown out. She was part of a freak litter. He bought her for all the money he had at the time, fifty-seven bits. He had gathered it from a combination of begging, lying, and finding it on the ground. She was his most valuable possession.
Drake pat her on the head as she stood up and whined at him. She missed him so much. But Drake was used to this. She was always this way. He laid down on his bed. Bella came and laid down next to him. She snuggled up right up with him, and nudged his arm. He scratched her stomach, and flopped around her ears.
She calmed down, and layed there. He lied there and listened to the hospital people on the other side of the brick wall. This is how he normally entertained himself. He dozed off into sleep after about an hour. When he awoke, he didn’t feel like going back to sleep. It was dark outside, and walked out. Bella sat at the door, and whined. She wanted to come too.
Drake decided to bring her. Besides, it wasn’t too smart to walk around the capital city at whatever hour it was. Dark, thats all he knew. So he put her on a leash and walked her out of the shack he called home. He turned down the corner, and between two buildings. It was a short cut out. He looked around. The moist streets glistened from the lights of the street.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something shiny reflect off the light. It got his full attention. It was a palace guard. Princess Twilight, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia were all there, talking.
Drake decided to follow them. He was curious as to what they were doing. They walked slowly up the street, talking to eachother softly. Political business, Drake assumed. He couldn’t hear their conversation. They turned the corner, and headed to the train station. Drake stood at the corner, and waited for them to disappear into the blackness before he continued. He reached the next light, he then realized that he didn’t see them go through the next light.
Three guards seized him, and he dropped his leash, which then Bella turned and bit one of the guards in the leg. He let go of his grip. Drake broke from the other two, and he scooped up Bella, and took off flying as fast as he could.
A bright light flashed in front of him and Celestia herself was there in front of him. He made a hard right, and nearly dropped Bella. He wanted to go home. Then he saw a dark shadow in front of him. He collided with it, and dropped Bella. She fell a small way, but was caught by a magical aura, which held her there, and gently brought her to the ground. He was caught by two hooves, and then was held there.
“Why are you following us?” she asked.
Drake recognized the voice. He had heard that voice before, in the hospital. It was Luna.
“Why are you following us?” she re-asked.
Drake was in panic.
“Where are your parents, and why did they let you out so late at night?” She asked.
“Leave me alone,” he said. He broke free of her grip and took off. He then turned around, remembering Bella. He would have get her back. She was all he had. His most valuable possession. Drake looked back. The princess landed and continued. Bella walked next to a guard. He prayed it was the one she bit.
He flew this time. There was no suspicion as to if he was following them. They knew he would show up eventually and get his dog back. The guards would just keep an open eye for him. They were happy that it was just some pegasus child, instead of a burglar or a stalker.
They entered the train station. Luna leaned over to the clerk and whispered something into his ear. Then the clerk hit a big red button, and the door began to shut. Drake flew as fast as he could to it, and slipped in under it. He was hidden by the dark and unseen by the clerk, or any guards, or one of the princesses.
He had a burn on his shoulder, where he had rubbed against the cobblestone, on his‘great’ entrance to the station.
They sat there and waited for the train. They, everypony but Luna that is, sat around and engaged in small talk. Drake heard them laugh at something. They talked like friends. But Luna walked off into the dark. She was looking for something, or somepony. Most likely Drake. He swooped down by the guards who stood at attention. One of which had Bella. Sadly it wasn’t the one who she bit. Drake wanted that guard to feel the torture of holding her after what she did to him.
Drake had to think, ‘how would he get her?’ He figured that if he could break free of two, he could get her from one. But he would have to make it swift, and quick. He decided on what he was going to do.
The train’s rumbling echoed down the tracks, and they watched as it rounded a corner. It began to screech to a halt. Drake took this as his time. He flew to the end of the Track, and geared up. He shot forward, fast as a bullet, straight at the guard holding Bella. He slammed into him, denting his armor severely, and causing him to drop Bella. Drake quickly picked her up, and carried her away.
“Stop, by order of her majesty's guard!” One shouted.
Drake ignored the order and continued on his escape.
(Back on the platform)
Celestia looked after him as he flew off into the dark abyss, where he disappeared.
“Well, so much for our plan,” she said.
“Wait, what just happened?” Twilight asked.
The train stopped. The cabin doors opened, and out came mrs. Percival. She was followed by a school of young fillies and colts. They all looked in awe at Celestia and the other princesses. Fluttershy got off the train. (She was a chaperone).
“Hello,” one said.
Celestia looked down, and saw three ponies standing in front of her. “Oh, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Nice to see you again. How’s everything going back in ponyville?” She asked.
“Everything’s okay, for the time being,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Well, I hope you enjoy your stay. I have prepared a place for you to stay. In the castle. It will be quite a luxury stay for some of you,” She continued.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle and I will be accompanying you to where you stay,” She said.
Luna leaned in and whispered,” What will I be doing?”
“Finding that little colt, and finding out where he lives. I’ve seen him around before, and I know he has been in trouble like he was today before. I think he is an orphan...
“Excuse me children,” She said remembering them.
“Anyway, I think he’s an orphan, and I want you to find him,” she said.
Luna nodded her head and went to the clerk and told him to open the gate. Once the gate was all the way open, she stepped out onto the street. She whispered a simple light spell and then set out on her mission.
(Back with Drake)
Drake landed toward the end of the alleyway. He walked a few steps and then turned and ran down another alleyway. He then turned once more and was back. He went straight to bed. He had no intentions of causing any trouble for at least a week. But knowing himself, he would probably get into trouble the next day.
He lied in his bed, quietly, and slowly closed his eyes and fell to sleep.
(Luna)
Luna had found trouble finding this pony. He had literally disappeared, not leaving any signs of which direction of where he was. But Luna knew of a way she could find him. Part of her job as the lady of the night, was to monitor the dreams and help everypony resolve problems they’ve come across throughout their day, week, and even life. She concentrated strongly. She found one dream that stood out. Drake was running. But not from guards, not from police. It was a black blob like thing. He jumped on top of something. The creature then took him over.
She had a flashback. She thought that he was running from, no it was too awful to think of.
He wasn’t consumed. What he was trying to protect... Luna didn’t know who it was. It was kind of creepy. He was trying to save somepony. But she couldn’t tell who it was.
She was confused. Never before had she seen something with such realness. As if he was actually remembering it...
She had to go. She turned around. But something shined out of the corner of the street. It was very odd.
(in the hospital)
“Are you okay? You seem sick,” a nurse asked a visitor.
“Yea, I’m fine,” She responded. She got up to go home. A cold sweat rested on her brow. She stumbled toward the door. The nurse knew something was wrong.
“Mam,” she began.
The lady stumbled, then fell to the floor.
“Mam!” the nurse said, as she ran down to her.” I need a doctor.”
(Celestia)
Celestia showed the girls where they would be staying. “Now, in order to make sure that no one walked off, and at the request of your teacher who wasn’t able to make it, I am having Luna, whenever she gets back, put a lock spell on this wing. But as long as you keep it quiet, you can play around or mess around, or whatever,” she said. “I have some buisness to atend to in Cloudsdale. I will see you in two days to see you off.”
(Drake)
Drake opened his eyes. It was hours later, but it seemed to him only a few minutes. He wanted to go back to sleep, but Bella wanted to go on another walk. He got up. It was partly cloudy, with a side of sunshine. Drake was hungry. He hadn’t eaten for a while. He went to the bakery, owned by the Bakers.
They were home, and gave him some coffee muffins, which were fresh made. They were always kind to him.
He went about his business. He had to get back the dog food that was taken from him by the cops. He knew where to get that from. He went to the dumpster behind the station, and took it.
The cops for some reason, he couldn’t figure out, didn’t like him, at all. They always accused him of doing things he didn’t do and had never done before. It was more of a guilt thing, he figured. They knew his story, and had they of acted instead of not paying attention to his urgent, desperate calls for help, his parents would be alive, and him not an orphan.
Drake didn’t hold it over their head. He was barely old enough to even remember his parents. so it didn’t really matter to him all that much.
Drake walked out from behind the building and down back to his shack house. He fed Bella, and then came back to the city. Three police officers saw him, and shouted,” There the little thief is, get him.”
Drake had done this number so many times that it was no longer a worry for him. It was more of a game. He ran down the street, but where he normally would turn for the alleyway, two more cops blocked him.
Drake now realized he might just lose this one. He turned around and ran over a bridge. A group of children were walking behind somepony, most likely touring the capital. He got into the group, where he blended in perfectly. When the police came over the bridge, they looked out over the crowd and then turned back.
“Hello, who are you,” Apple bloom said to Drake.
Drake was shocked. But in a way, he kind of asked for it. “Drake, who are you is the real question...” He slowly backed out of the group, until he bumped into somepony. He turned around to see, Princess Luna.”Sorry, your majesty.”
“Wait, aren’t you the boy from the...” She began. But then she stopped.
Drake had already thought of how to get out of this one. Fluttershy came over and shepherded all of the children along, including Drake, saving him from Luna. He looked over at Scootaloo. She was a blank flank.
“Hey, one of them leaned over, blank flank, can you please...”
“Shut up, we never did nothing to you, stop making fun of us,” one said.
“Sorry, it’s just so fun. I can’t help it, just like you can’t help it,” Diamond Tiara said.
“Make fun of them for not having one, but at least they don’t have one that means BRAT. I didn’t realize that being a brat was a talent. You must be the best at it, because I’ve never seen one like it,” Drake said.
Diamond Tiara stood back in shock. Drake stood her down even more, when he lifted up his wings.
“Well,” she said, looking on his flank to see if she could make fun of his.
It was two swords that cross with a castle in the background, and an olive branch running between the two swords.
Drake caught what she was trying to do. “ Oh, mine means protector and peace maker, just incase you're trying to burn me.”
She backed down, and went off to the front of the group.
“Thanks, Drake.” Apple bloom said.
“Just helping a friend out,” he said.
“Wow, that was a brun. Glad that wasn’t me, otherwise my wings would have been cinders,” Scootaloo said.
“Yea, what’s your name?”She said.
“ Oh, I’m Scootaloo, and that’s Applebloom, and that’s Sweetie Belle,” she said.
Drake hung out with them. They went to places and he learned things that he never knew or knew existed. They even went to the underground catacombs of the city. They learned a secret way out. They learned how to do cool things too, like, they got an interview with a wonderbolt, and they got to see her do a sonic rainboom.
She and fluttershy knew each other well apparently. They were friends. And her name was Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash had to go, they needed her for some business. Some E.M.S. units were headed in the same direction. Everypony in that group had their theories as to what it was. Some said an explosion, others said a bad carriage wreck, Drake had an idea, but it wasn’t right as to think. It wasn’t something that they should deploy military personnel to. He theorized that it had to do with the lady in the hospital he over heard that night. But he couldn’t be sure. For now, he was avoiding the cops, and trying to get food.
The day was long. They went to the castle and Drake had to slip out of the group, undetected. When he finally got back to his shack home, something was different. The air, it didn’t smell right. It smelt off, in some weird way that he couldn’t explain. The feeling went away after a minute or two. He went into his shack house.
“What do you mean evacuate?” a voice on the other side of the wall said.” We need to seal off the city.”
Drake sat up and listened. It was Rainbow dash. If the outbreak gets worse, then we will evacuate. But until then, the people should keep to their lives.
“It has a one-hundred percent death rate, and too many ponies have gotten it, and there is no telling how many more will get it. We should at the very least warn everypony,” a doctor said.
“That I will agree on, but look, if it becomes any more serious, we will not even evacuate, we will be forced to put a shield around the city and pray it dies out before the people do,” Rainbow said.